Listen what two Gopikas discuss in 8thTiruppavaiPashuram
In brief but candid eight lines of her Tamil Pashuram, Goda has filled whole lot of knowledge that forms essence of Upanishads and our ancient texts. Goda incorporated a meaningful conversation between Goda (or Gopika outside the door and another Gopika inside) in EighthPaashuram (song).Gopikas were enjoying the divine association with Sri Krishna during Dwapara Yuga in Vrepalle and Brindavan. Goda imagines Srivilliputtur as Vrepalle and all her friends as Gopikas, and their conversation goes on:
Goda: It is the appointed hour to meet Krishna. My team is asking how you can sleep in this hour.
Gopika: How do you know that such a time has arrived?
Goda: Don’t you see the brightened East?
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Gopika: You are suffering separation from Krishna; you have a strong desire to meet Him. You are always thinking about it. Your faces are bright like the Sun, and you always like white curds and white milk. Hence you find everything around as bright and white.
Goda: Cattle started in the early morning to graze the tender grass, along with their kids. If Krishna also goes with them, how can we meet Him? Can we survive without Him? Please wake up from your sleep and join us.
Gopika: Milch animals did not go for grazing. Your bright faces moved away the shadows which looked like the moving animals. The light is emanating from your bright faces, not sunrays. This is AnyathaJnanam (the other knowledge, which means you are under illusion that clouds are animals). Thinking shadows or clouds as animals is VipareethaJnanam (Considering one as another, for example, believing serpent as rope and rope as serpent). The Brahma Muhurtha- pre-dawn time- is conducive for securing Yathartha Jnana with SathwaGuna, Afternoon makes it easy to get Anyatha Jnana because of RajoGuna, and at night with TamoGuna gives Vipareetha Jnana)
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Goda: Okay, ours is Anyatha or Vipareetha Jnana. As you have Yathartha Jnana, please tell me how you consider that it is still not the dawn.
Gopika: We have 5 lakh Gopikaas in Brindavan, but not even a thousand came here.
Goda: They came and left.
Gopika: Then you may not need me. Or you do not care for me.
Goda: Not like that. They were all in a group and as they do not know whether you were here or already left. They might have gone to see you there. They care for you.
Gopika: Why did they go?
Goda: Those who are on the way to Shree Vaikuntham in Archiraadi route, or Akrura, who is travelling to Nanda Vraj to see Sri Krishna, or those going to Tirumala for Lord Venkateshwara’s Darshan. Going itself is their purpose, nothing else.
Gopika: When they left me behind, what is the use of coming now.
Goda: Now you know why they left. We told them that you are yet to come. Then they stood standstill with surprise. None ordered or asked them to be so. When they came to know that you did not arrive, they could not move at all. Then we asked them to stay there assuring that we would get you. As they thought glancing Lord Krishna was the sole purpose, requesting you to come with us is our sole purpose. And we came to your doorstep. Please come. When Ram’s army of Vaanaraas reached Lanka, Vibheeshan came to meet Ram and stood in the sky above on this side of the ocean. The moment he saw Ram, he was standstill. We also stood without movement for you.
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Gopika: Am I so great that you all wait for
Goda: Krishna Himself loves you and looks for you. Otherwise, we do not have any standing to come and invite you. As He loves you, we too want you. We want to see your grace and beauty as you walk towards us. Please give us the credit of succeeding in inviting you by honouring our request.
Gopika: What is that we gain now?
Goda: We get again what we used to achieve from the graceful look of Krishna. Elders of village separated us from Him. We were only meditating upon Him and hiding the pleasure. They are permitting us to meet Krishna now. We can sing his praises without any hesitation and enjoy. Let us prostrate before Him as He told us in Bhagavadgeeta.
Gopika: Will Lord Krishna grant us boon of that music instrument Parai.
Goda: He killed all our enemies like demons in the form of Horse and many others, and offered Himself to our love, hence, he would surely give us that gift.
Gopika: It’s an old story. Now He went to Capital City Mathura where he might have seen more beautiful women. He might have forgotten us long back.
Goda: He killed Chaanura and Musthikasura and gave darshan of his lotus-like face to women like us there. He will never forget us.
Gopika: He is praised as King of Gods, why should He bother about us?
Goda:Yes. He is Devaadideva, but for us he descended as one among us- cowherds. And if we go first on foot to Him, He will respect our effort and feel for giving us the trouble of walking to him. He will surely come to our rescue. As Raama arrived in the forest during exile, ascetics and Rishis went to Him seeking protection from demons. Raama felt guilty as He did not reach them first and gave them pain of reaching Him. He cannot tolerate the pain of His devotees. When Guha rushed to reach Him, Raama says you walked to see me! What else can one do other than this? He embraced Guha. Come let us go fast to see Him.
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